Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Brooks, Morant Struggle In Early Goings Of 2020/21 Season

February 8th, 2021 at 4:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Grizzlies swingman Dillon Brooks has had trouble finding his shooting touch thus far this season, prompting Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal to wonder if the fourth-year player out of Oregon has already peaked in his development.

Brooks is in the first season of a three-year, $35MM extension he signed with the Grizzlies during the 2019/20 campaign. Though his scoring output has not decreased significantly (he is averaging 14.9 PPG compared to his career-high 16.2 PPG last year), Brooks is connecting on career-low percentages from the floor (37.5%) and the three-point line (28.4%).

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has struggled over his past three contests. Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian examines the potential root causes behind the trouble for Morant, who has shot just 13-of-39 from the floor in his last three games for Memphis, all losses.

Exploring Why It's Difficult To Judge Heat-Grizzlies Trade From Last Year

February 7th, 2021 at 7:16pm CST by JD Shaw

Just one year after being traded to Memphis, Justise Winslow‘s health issues have made it difficult to judge the deal that sent him from the Heat to the Grizzlies, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. Winslow has yet to appear in a game for his new team and is currently dealing with a hip injury.

Valanciunas Remains In COVID-19 Protocols

February 4th, 2021 at 9:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols continue to keep Grizzlies starting center Jonas Valanciunas unavailable to play with the team, though he has traveled with the club and appeared on the team bench during recent contests, according to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Valanciunas has been unavailable since January 17.

Grizzlies Send Jontay Porter To Memphis Hustle

February 3rd, 2021 at 6:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Grizzlies are sending forward Jontay Porter to the the club’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, for the 2021 NBAGL season in Orlando, according to a team press release.

Latest On Justise Winslow, Jaren Jackson Jr.

February 1st, 2021 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Justise Winslow, who has yet to appear in a game for the Grizzlies since being acquired nearly a year ago at the 2020 trade deadline, hopes to return to the court later this month, he said on Monday. As Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, Memphis’ lengthy hiatus due to contact tracing in January set Winslow back slightly due to a lack of practice opportunities, but he’s getting close.

“I’m feeling great, my hip feels great. I’m really close to getting back on the court, hopefully sometime this month,” the Grizzlies forward said. “I really don’t have an exact day in mind. Just with COVID and how our team had to miss almost a week of practice and that sort of thing, that set me back, just without being able to have proper access to workouts and things like that.”

Meanwhile, Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will have his rehab process ramped up in the coming weeks as he looks to return from meniscus surgery, as Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian reports (via Twitter). Herrington doesn’t anticipate Jackson will return to action before the first half ends on March 4, but there’s no set timeline yet for the 21-year-old’s season debut (Twitter link).

Grizzlies-Thunder Matchup Moved To February 17

January 31st, 2021 at 2:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

A Grizzlies–Thunder matchup in Memphis, initially projected to be played during the second half of the NBA season schedule, has been shifted up to Wednesday, February 17 at 8 p.m. CT, per a Grizzlies press release.

Grayson Allen Enters Health And Safety Protocols

January 30th, 2021 at 2:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies guard Grayson Allen will not be active on Saturday against San Antonio due to the league’s health and safety protocols, according to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Allen joined center Jonas Valanciunas on the list, as Memphis prepares to play for the first time since January 18. Valanciunas indicated on social media he’s recovered from COVID-19 and rejoined the team, though he’s not expected to play until next week.
The Grizzlies will allow MVP season ticket holders to attend games starting on February 4 against Houston, Barnes indicates in a separate story. That will raise capacity inside FedExForum to just under 2,000 fans, or 11% capacity. The Grizzlies have allowed up to 74 season ticket holders to sit courtside, as well as 220 additional fans in suites and club boxes.

Return Timetables Unclear On Jaren Jackson Jr, Justise Winslow

January 29th, 2021 at 3:51pm CST by JD Shaw

It remains unclear when Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and forward Justise Winslow will return, Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commerical Appeal writes. No specific timetables have been issued on Jackson, who is recovering from a torn meniscus, or Winslow, who is rehabbing a hip injury. “I think from a plan and rehab and recovery and return to play standpoint, everyone’s been doing a great job,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence that these guys will be back soon and be in a great spot health-wise, too.”

And-Ones: Competitive Fairness, Surprises, Olympics, Kuminga

January 29th, 2021 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA is facing competitive fairness issues stemming from pandemic-related disruptions to the schedule, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The league has postponed 22 games through the first five weeks of the season, and the effects of health and safety protocols are showing up in the standings.

The Wizards are the most obvious example, holding the league’s worst record at 3-11 after roughly half the roster was forced to quarantine. Washington had just one practice before returning to action Sunday after two weeks off. The result was three straight losses by a combined 57 points. The Heat, defending Eastern Conference champions, are off to a 6-12 start while playing with a depleted roster. The teams at the top of the standings — the Lakers, Clippers and Jazz — have been relatively unaffected by the virus.

The Wizards and Grizzlies both had six games postponed and face a difficult road ahead to reach 72 games. Washington is looking at 39 games in 67 days when the NBA releases its second-half schedule, although the league is trying to alleviate that by moving some games to the first half.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The Pistons‘ Jerami Grant and the Hornets‘ Gordon Hayward are the biggest surprises of the early season, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Both signed huge free agent deals during the offseason that were questioned around the league, but they have emerged as their teams’ best players. Hayward has gone back to the leader he was in Utah, Hollinger notes, while Grant has taken his game to another level.
FIBA will hold the draw ceremony for this year’s Olympic basketball tournament on February 2, the organization announced on its website. Eight men’s teams have already qualified, including Team USA, and the final four slots will be filled by the winners of tournaments to be played this summer in Canada, Croatia, Lithuania and Serbia.
At least 12 NBA teams have started research on Jonathan Kuminga, a projected high lottery pick in this year’s draft, writes Adam Zagoria for NJ.com. Kuminga, part of Team Ignite, will make his G League debut in the Orlando bubble next month. Ignite coach Brian Shaw compares him to Jaylen Brown and Paul George.
Former Net Josh Boone is the latest player to commit to Team USA for the AmeriCup qualifying tournament, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Boone, 36, plays for the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL and was last in the NBA in the 2009/10 season.

Grizzlies Returned To Practice On Wednesday

January 28th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After five straight postponed games, the Grizzlies returned to practice on Wednesday night, writes Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. That’s a strong signal that the team will be ready to resume its schedule against San Antonio on Saturday, though it remains to be seen how many players will be available, says Barnes.